1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tool magazine having a storage wheel that is arranged around its rotational axis to be rotatably drivable and that is fitted with tool receivers in the area of its circumference.
2. Background Art
On such a tool magazine known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,206 the individual tools are held on the circumference of the storage wheel in such a way that their longitudinal axes are arranged parallel to the rotational axis of the storage wheel. The removal and the placing of a tool takes place directly via the chuck mounted on the spindle of the machine tool, with the transportation of the spindle with the chuck occurring via the usual cross slide of the machine tool. This is possible because the holding elements of the tools protrude beyond the storage wheel in the direction of the rotational axis and can thus be approached directly with the chuck of the spindle of the machine tool. To receive a single and/or a few especially voluminous tools there is provided in the circumference of the storage wheel a larger recess, in which such particularly large tools can be accommodated so that the total circumference of the storage wheel fitted with tools does not become too large. The recess serves to save space. The storage volume of said known storage wheel is limited.
Moreover there are known tool magazines designed as a kind of shelf, in which tools are stored. The transportation of tools from a machine tool to said shelf or vice versa occurs by means of tool changers exhibiting appropriate grippers.